Must Read
GIMP fans may disagree, but the world needs a GTK photo editor with an interface easy to understand for a while. With layers, various effects and good old-fashioned editing functions, the Pinta is the photo editor missing on Linux and Windows and OS X. Think Pinta.net, but cross-platform.
But even if you do not use Linux, you might just find Pinta to be the new favorite image editor free. It's fast, functional and does the job. If you've used Pinta.net, Photoshop or even before, you probably will not have any trouble finding anything. But if you have not, consider Pintaing a great introduction to what the photo editing software can not be too cofusing to use.
Toolkit
Pinta starts first and by far the interface will look familiar. It is not so different, at first glance, from Microsoft Pinta: A set of tools to the left, the layers and the right story, the image in the center.
The toolbox should be familiar with you, even if the photo editing tool I have used is only Microsoft Pinta. If not, do not worry hangs on a particular tool will make a pop-up help.
The navigation menu is also worth it, you'll find many useful things there. Rotate the image, display options, and various effects you expect.
You can also adjust the curves and colors, which is very useful if you need to fix a picture in this regard
I could go on, but it is best to fire, so the program and explore yourself. I recommend playing with the different effects to get an idea of what is possible. If you want to make your picture as an oil Pintaing or simply remove red eye from a family photo, there is much to explore there.
Layers
If you have really succeeded in photo editing, you know that the layers are essential.Whether you're trying to add items to stylize photos or simply the concept of layers very quickly become crucial. Pinta supports it, putting over the simple image editing software.
Despite this apparent complexity, however, the Pinta is a piece of software that the average computer user should have no problem at all to use. Even the way layers that is very easy to understand and use, if you experiment with it.
History
Another indispensable tool for editing images is their story. This lets you see all the changes you made while editing the image, and undo at will.
This is self-explanatory, but very important if you like to experiment a lot with images. Note, however, that the current version of the Pinta, which stores the history in RAM, which means this program will be a lot of memory very quickly.
Installing Pinta
Want to start? Head over to the official website of the Pinta. You will find the installation files for Ubuntu, Mac and Windows, which is the best way to start.
Pinta's current incarnation is just the beginning, so if you are not happy with what you see here be sure to check back in a couple of months. Dynamic projects like this can be very fun to watch, and really represent the power of open source at its best!
Oh, and if you're a Linux user not very dedicated to the idea of the installation, I recommend you download the program over PortableLinuxApps.org. It is the place to find downloads of each working Linux distro, and could not be easier to use.
So, what do you think of the Pinta? Please share in comments. Also feel free to represent other free software image editing, and our readers because I always love learning about new software?
EmoticonEmoticon